IS THIS YOUR CAFE?

Gonzo

This afternoon (Saturday) a callout request was received from a cafe manager who ran 3 complaints by the service provider:
a) the espresso machine is burning the coffee;
b) the coffee beans are no good;
c) there is something wrong with the grinder, it is not dropping the right amount of coffee into the double filter.

The Service Tech attended, and the report is as follows:

a) All functions of the espresso machine are operating as they should, the group delivery water is as per spec. showers clean, pressures per spec etc ..no problem could be found;

b) No problem could be found with the coffee beans;

c) The grinder has been tampered with, apparently by an unauthorised person with little expertise.  
i)   The grind is set far too coarse resulting in gushing, fast flow and coffee grinds that look like coarse sand;
ii)  One of the double filters has been replaced with a non standard smaller item. The dose has been diminished from the standard so as to fill the incorrect sized filter, resulting in incorrect dosing of the remaining correct sized double filter and its matched single filter;
iii) As a result cafe staff think the dosing mechanism of the grinder is varying the drop, while in fact it is dropping a consistent amount of coffee but each time they select one of the double group handles, it's a lucky dip as to whether they picked up the correct sized one, or the incorrect sized on.

End result:
Remove incorrect sized filter;
Readjust grind;
Readjust dose to suit remaining correct sized filters;
Report to cafe manager;
Invoice "out of hours" weekend Service Call to cafe.

The cafe manager announced she does NOT drink coffee and called for Service due to customer complaints about the wet coffee. She has attended classes in the proper operation and management of the commercial espresso machine and grinder where all the above was covered, but apparently hasn't grasped the idea behind what is causing the complaints from her clients. She thought her supplier had supplied "bad beans" and that caused the bad coffee, does not remember how to adjust the grind, did not realise the dose had been altered at some point, nor that there were 2 different sized double coffee filters.

Net result:
Wet coffee clients go away with a bad memory about the cafe;
Wet coffee clients go away with the (totally incorrect) perception that the quality of a particular brand coffee is below standard;
Cafe owners / management / staff (incorrectly) perceive that the quality of the coffee delivered to them by their supplier is below standard;
The coffee supplier's good name erroneously sabotaged.

Is this your cafe?

G.  

Unknown

Are you suprised? I took a class the other day and this bakery had sent down a lady to do prepare and serve espresso. she was their main coffee maker and the thoery was she would go back and teach the others on what to do. When I asked her how many kilos a week or a day they do she had no idea and no idea on their procedures for cleaning etc. She had no passion for coffee and infact didn't even drink "the stuff". I felt like saying why even waste my time with this. I had dramas all day because unlike most others she would not listen to simple instructions on what to do, so you show her , explain to her as you do it , watch her do it, turn around walk away and the watch her when she isn't looking at you, you know what ...she is back doing what she was in the first place... how frustrated do you think I got. As people say there is nothing like experience. I think you have hit the nail on the head and believe me when my rep comes around and you listen to some of the tales it makes you cry to think of the damage being done to those businesses (unless it is opposition) may the coffee gods smile upon you all and have a great day Brian

Reschsmooth

I know this is the 'trade' forum, not really meant for customers (admin can 'roast' me about this later), but, one thing that Gonzo said struck a chord with me from a consumer's perspective: "Wet coffee clients go away with the (totally incorrect) perception that the quality of a particular brand coffee is below standard" Before I learnt anything about coffee, I used to get my drinks from a sandwich bar near work which displayed the umbrella's and wind breaks of a well known big brand coffee company. Not knowing a lot better, I did realise that it was substandard coffee - overheated milk, coffee grinds left in the cup, etc. However, I thought that this was a function of poor quality product supplied by the coffee company. Then, I attended a coffee course run by this same company, and after the course instructor had made me a proper espresso, I realised there was nothing wrong with their product, but the way it was being destroyed by the sandwich shop. I subsequently 'dobbed' the shop in to the coffee company as ones not using their product properly. Patrick

triclops

Seems funny that the first time the main coffee maker is know to you is when there is a complaint, surely you who have chatted when you took the account. Please be little pro active, do you turn up drop off 25 kg and not know who is making your coffee. Perhaps you should screen the client, not good enough therfore don't supply. Don't whinge now. Get in their and check them out, spend a 1/2 hour for every 400 bucks worth of coffee you drop off. I'm sick of roasters who go the bottom line and complain about the  retail end. Training, quality and a say no to people who  are shit. Which coffee company are you?

Gonzo

Hmm. When are cafe people going to take responsibility for their own actions? The sentiments in your post would have me getting out of bed every morning and going straight to the confessional, beating my breast with a few "mea culpas" before going to work, stopping off on the way to throw the customers the shirt off my back. I have a business to run just like you, and I dont expect ( in fact I dont want) my suppliers living on my doorstep. It is my responsibility to do the best job possible with the goods supplied to me by them, so why should the cafe industry be any different? So to address your post in point by point form:

FreshCoffee2

This discussion seems to exemplify yet again the perennial tug of war that plagues much of the cafe / roaster (supplier) relationship. There's a lot of suspicion between them although I cant fathom why on earth this is the way it is. Should be supporting eachother in the pursuit of the common goal... i.e. earning a comfortable living, together. FC.